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Supermodel Cheryl Tiegs on secrets to beauty, happiness and life after modeling

Cheryl Tiegs joined TODAY Friday to share her thoughts on health, beauty and life since her days as a supermodel.
/ Source: TODAY

Cheryl Tiegs joined TODAY Friday to share her thoughts on health, beauty and life since her days as a supermodel. Now 68, Tiegs opened up to Natalie Morales about happiness, regrets and the key to beauty.

The first thing I do when I wake up is ...

I stay in bed for about 15 minutes just thinking of my dreams. I dream every night, and I just stay in that dream state until I get up. And the first thing I do is eat. I like these big protein drinks in the morning.

I never leave the house without ...

I think of practical things. I never leave the house without my cell phone or my keys. When I leave the house, I've done makeup or no makeup, and then I forget about it. So I never take any cosmetics with me.

The last thing I do before I go to sleep is ...

Read. I don't have a television in my bedroom. And I don't do computer after 5 o'clock.

Portrait Of Cheryl Tiegs
Portrait of American model and actress Cheryl Tiegs as she poses for the cover of a May 1974 issue of Women's Own magazine wearing a green and white stripped bikini top and green rimmed sun glasses.Getty Images

RELATED: Supermodel Veronica Webb on life, love and beauty secrets

So your routine is very important to you?

I love routine. I think everybody should have a routine. I make my roast chicken on Sunday night, and that's when I invite friends over. They love my roast chicken.

I need the recipe. What makes your roast chicken amazing?

I don't know, but it's the only thing I make.

If I could go back and change one thing in my life, it would be ...

I think I've just learned recently that I cannot control the situation or everybody. I used to think, "Well, if that person did it like the way I do it, they'd be a much better person." And it doesn't work that way. Everybody's different. And everybody has their own way of living life.

Cheryl Tiegs
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 26: Cheryl Tiegs attends the Nathan Turner Celebrates India Hicks Event at Nathan Turner on March 26, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Graves/Getty Images for Nathan Turner)Getty Images

I hope in 20 years I am...

I hope in 20 years, I will be as healthy as I am now. And I don't know why I wouldn't be. And — and very peaceful. I've done a lot of spiritual work. I've done a lot of yoga, and classes, and learning, and growing. And I just always want to be active, but I don't want to push myself so that it's uncomfortable. I go out on hikes a lot. And I just put on my headphones, and listen to the music, and I like my feet on the ground.

And this year I will finally...

This year I will finally — I'm not gonna write a book, so don't ask me that — I want to continue really living in the moment. I've been living day by day, and really sometimes, because I had this foot injury, I live hour by hour. I'm putting all my energy into that healing.

To me, happiness is...

Oh, don't make me cry. Being with my son. He's 24, and he just got engaged. I could be in a room with him and be happy. We don't need big, extravagant things — he's just so much fun to talk to.

To me, beauty is...

Beauty is educating yourself, pushing yourself, learning and growing. Nina Blanchard was the agency out here in Los Angeles. And she said, "Cheryl, now you've finished your formal education," she said, "But don't ever stop learning and growing, because that's the key to beauty."

Cheryl Tiegs
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 01: Model Cheryl Tiegs arrives at the 2015 Le Vian Red Carpet Revue at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on June 1, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Le Vian)Getty Images

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What do you think for you is your biggest accomplishment in life?

Certainly my child, and raising him. He's a fine, young man now. And then in my career going as far as I could, and sometimes leading the pack.

And any regrets?

Oh. Just to name a few? Yes, I have regrets. Everybody has bumps in the road. It's how you handle them, and how you deal with them. There are days I wake up sad; there are days that I wake up so happy I can't stand it. You know, that's just life.

What do you think your legacy is?

Oh, gosh. I don't know. You know, I want to be thought of as a nice person — thoughtful, sweet, kind, good. I really do. I really think that kindness is not always easy. Sometimes you bump your elbow and you just want to shout at the next person, but I try to be as kind to everybody as I can. And as I said, it's not always easy, but that's my goal.

We spoke with Veronica Webb as part of TODAY's "Supermodels: Where are they now?" series.